Vertical Lamp Made With Recycled Fluorescent Tubes

Many fluorescent tubes end up as waste in recycling containers. In this instructables I explain how to give them a new life as a vertical lamp with a very simple construction process and the help of a 3D-printer.

In the next steps it is showed the parts and components that you need to do the lamp. Those are the 3D models that you need.

• 2x 1500x26 mm fluorescent tubes: the highlighted models on the image below are valid. Shorter models are usable as long as the diameter remains 26 mm. However, the result will be a shorter lamp when using these. Note: fluorescent tubes contain contaminant gases that may be harmful for your heath. Extreme caution is required when handling them and it is advised to place the lamp somewhere where it can not be hit and fall.
• 3x 3x30 mm screws for wood: 4 mm screws can also be used, as well as screws somewhat sorter or longer (from 20 to 35 mm)
• 1x 300x30 mm circular DM wooden base: it can be purchased in a carpenter's workshop. This appropriate because it is easy to paint and the results are satisfactory. Other materials might also offer similar results and therefore, are also usable.
• 1x "union" 3D-printed piece
• 3x "base" 3D-printed pieces
• 3x "superior" 3D-printed pieces
• 1x 125 mm diameter lightbulb
• 1x 2.5 m cable with switch and lampholder: It is available in Amazon, and I personally chose one from this website due to its great length and aesthetic look. https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B099WP4YC1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Cat is not necessary

• Spray paint: It will be applied to the fluorescent tubes and the base. Other types of paint are also usable. https://www.leroymerlin.es/fp/17448291/spray-pintura-luxens-negro-brillo-0-4l
• Glass-priming paint (optional): If you want the paint to stick to the glass appropriately, it is advised to apply first glass-priming paint. I did not apply it.
• Textured spray paint (optional): I used it for achieving a unique finish, but it is your choice whether to apply it or not. https://www.leroymerlin.es/fp/82992610/spray-decorativo-piedra-luxens-400ml-marron-mineral
• Varnish (optional): I used it for protecting the paint and giving it a matte finish.
• Silicone for a hot silicone gun
• Quick-setting glue (optional): I did not use it, but it is convenient to fix some parts quickly.
• Rubbing alcohol: It is used for cleaning the fluorescent tubes.

• Electric or manual screwdriver
• Hot silicone gun
• Needle-nosed pliers for removing support material from the 3D-printed pieces of the base.
• Cutter, razor blade or similar for removing support material.
• Pencil
• Cloth

1. Preparation the 3D-printed pieces: print the 7 necessary pieces (3 "base" pieces, 1 "union" piece and 3 "superior" pieces). The printing quality does not have to be high because the textured spray paint convers the rugged surface. Layers height is 0.2 mm. Depending on the quality selected for the impression, it might take over 10 hours. Cat is not necessary.
2. Preparation of the fluorescent tubes: clean the tubes with rubbing alcohol.
3. Preparation of the wooden base.

Apply paint to the fluorescent tubes and the wooden base. It is optional to paint the fluorescent tubes given that they already have a nice and shining color. I have painted them because I wanted a fully black lamp. A tip for painting them is to avoid pressing them against the surface they are being painted on because the paint might stick to it and leave the surface of the tube uneven. In my case it is not necessary to be careful as I will apply later the textured spray paint.

I recommend placing the wooden base on an elevated surface in order to make it easier to paint its borders.

Do not keep on with the process until the paint is dry. The wooden base will take around 2 minutes to dry fully, while the fluorescent tubes might take longer. I recommend waiting cautiously because it is easy to scrape the paint when rubbing it with other pieces.

In order to screw the base pieces to the wooden base, it is necessary to screw first the "union" piece. It does not really matter if the "union" piece is not perfectly centered given that the piece will be somewhat loose between the wooden piece and the tube. This piece is designed for 125 mm diameter lightbulbs (even though you can use bigger lightbulbs and still look nice) but if the position is changed, the opening of the tips where the lightbulb should fit would vary. The inconvenience of this procedure is that the opening of the base would also increase or decrease inversely proportional to the upper part, that is to say, if we lower the central piece, the diameter of the lightbulb would be bigger and the opening of the base smaller, diminishing the stability of the structure.

Once the "union" piece is put in place, it can be fixated with quick-setting glue if wished. Then, join the 3D-printed pieces with the fluorescent tubes and place them on the wooden base (I eyeballed it). Mark with a pencil their positions and screw the pieces to the base through the holes that they have in the middle. Do not screw them completely until you check that the tubes fit.

Apply a great amount of hot silicone to fix the tubes to the base. It is preferable not to apply that much silicone in the "superior" part because the tubes are fragile, and they can break if you attempt to unglue them in the future.

During the assemblage, some paint might have come off. In order to solve that problem, use some spray paint.

If you want unique results, apply textured spray paint. I applied it and then painted it again with black paint to conceal it at first sight but not at first touch.

At last, apply matte varnish to protect the previous paint layers and to make it less shining.

Finally, screw the lightbulb into the lampholder and connect it to the grid.